Revolving Diet

Day 56 ~ 3/18/12

Are you recuperating from St. Patty's Day?  Too much celebrating?

I had a great time at the birthday party and got home about midnight.  Slept late to day and still have to get my workout in - Especially after you see what I made today...

As you know my sister was recently diagnosed  with cancer.  What you may or may not know is that cancer loves sugar.  My sister has been wanting Key Lime Pie and she is the only one (other than me) that likes it...I set out to make it and it's not a hard recipe mind you - it's making it sugar free.  And if you are diabetic - flour (breads, pasta, etc) are not good as these types of carbs turn into sugar.

Obstacles...You need sweetened condensed milk - full of sugar.  I found a recipe to make Sugar Free  sweetened condensed milk.  You need flour for a crust - I used almond meal, below is each portion of the recipe and I had one and it was delicious!!!!

 

Sugar Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 can (12 ounce size) evaporated skim milk

1-1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder

1/2 cup Splenda (I used Xylitol - it is a cancer friendly sugar substitute)

 

Combine all in a bowl, mix thoroughly. Chill. Keeps up to a week.

 

Almond Crust Sugar Free

1-1/2 cups almond meal (or almond flour)

3 tablespoons melted butter

Artificial Sweetener equal to 3 tablespoons (I used Xylitol here too)

 

This makes enough for a 9" pie crust - or a thicker 8" pie crust.

 

Heat oven to 350.  Melt butter, You can put all ingredients right into your pie crust mix and press down with fingertips. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is beginning to brown.  After 8 minutes, check every minute or so as once it starts to brown it browns fast!

 

Take out - then pour your Key Lime mix in....

 

Key Lime Pie Mix

3 Large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

Sugar Free sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup Key Lime Juice, preferably fresh (I used a bottled brand)

 

Whisk egg  yolks and cream of tarter until frothy, stir in condensed milk, then whisk in key lime juice until fully incorporated.  Pour  into your pie crust and bake for about 15 minutes, or until set.  Let pie cool on rack, then refrigerate until chilled before serving.

 

I made 1/2 the recipe as I made small little mini pies (I didn't have a mini pie pans - so I used cupcake pan)

And since I had the oven going - I thought I'd whip up some Oreo brownies....pretty much everything from a box/bag...

Used a brownie mix for a 13 x 9 pan - poured 1/2 mix into pan and then placed Oreos - then poured balance of brownie mix over it and springled mini chocolate chips....

AND......I had bananas that were way ripe..so I made banana bread...no pictures - I made it, sliced it and froze it and then remembered I didn't take pictures (sorry)....

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, sauteed with spinach, diced tomatoes, fat free feta cheese

Snack: 1 Oreo brownie, 1 Key lime mini pie (not quite the right snacks....)

Lunch:  (4) Lettuce rolled ham, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple

Dinner:  Steamed broccoli with 1/2 cup rice, 2 tablespoons garlic sauce (chinese take-out)

Well this past week went well - I stayed about the same (forgot to weigh in today) - had some slips - a bagel and today the desserts....but overall week went well.  The Mayo 5-10-8 was fairly easy to follow and was pretty balanced.  Keeping with 5 fruits and veggies is a healthy and filling plan.

As far as my baking like a mad woman today - it was like a last horrah....the warmer weather is getting closer and the wonderful smells of something baking in the oven are coming to a close - who the heck bakes a lot in summer - - TOO HOT!!  It's out of my system for a while (unless a diet down the road calls for it....)

Have a WONDERFUL night and a Calm, Stress Free Monday!!

Day 54 ~ 3/16/12

The bagel did me in....like I said, three steps forward and two steps back.  Vacation so near and I am not going to stress about it, there will probably be a bigger gain I will need to get on top of when I get back...so let's just go with the flow for now!!

Happy Friday and welcome to the St. Patty's Weekend!  Green Beer, Corn Beef and Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread !

Yesterdays Trader Joe's Poblano Chicken frozen meal - not bad.  Lots of spices but not over powering.  FOr only 210 calories and 2.5 grams of fat - it was good and pretty filling (I drank a botle of water with it to fill me up more)

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Banana, Mango an yogurt smoothie (something diferent)

Lunch: 2 HB eggs, 1/2 whole wheat flat bread, 2 tablespoons red pepper hummus and 2 tomatoes

 

Dinner:  No idea.  Going out to dinner tonight with Dad and his girlfriend - since it's a no meat day, hoping for fish or a big salad - may end up with pasta.  This one I have to update on tomorrow!

I hope your week gave you some progress in the direction you want - Are you a little toner after exercising another week?  DId you stick to healthy eating tis week?  Do you clothes feel a little looser??

You are making progress - JUST KEEP AT IT!!!!

Day 53 ~ 3/15/12

Hit the 80 pound mark!!   "YEAH"!!!!!

 But my elation will probably be short lived (temorarily)...No Debbie Downer here - just realistic!

I packed my breakfast and lunch and when I got to work there were bagels and I had one.  With butter and a little cream cheese, then ate my breakfast and lunch as usual.   I also have a vacation getaway coming up - so, I know already (it's so sad to even have to admit this) I will gain while away.  It might just be water weight - from eating restaurant meals, etc, or actually pounds....it's just frustrating when you are in a groove and then a wedding, holiday, vacation, etc... comes along  and it's like three steps forward and two steps back.

But not going to worry about that now.....

Todays Meals:

Breakfast: Bagel (no pic)with butter & cream cheese, orange and plain Greek yogurt

Lunch: 2 cup spinach salad, with tomato and green olives, 1/2 whole wheat flat bread and a red pear and below Honest Tea Cocoa Nova

Dinner:  Trader Joes Poblano Chicken (frozen meal)

I have never had one of these before and I am not having it until after I do the treadmill, so I will have to update you on this tomorrow.

You know I favor Honest Tea's - 1/2 ice tea & 1/2 lemonade....well they came out with this -

The bottle had me a Cocoa...Chocolate Ice Tea, I wondered??? Plus, only 50 calories and Dairy Free (it also has 9mg of caffeine).

 I had to buy it and try it  - AND -  I will not be buying this again. 

I personally like coffee, if it doesn't really taste like coffee.  Give me a Cappucino, a Latte, any regular coffee with about 1/2 cup of Nestle Coffee Mate Italian Sweet Cream Creamer and I am good.....but this, not so good.

First swallow tastes like you ran an extra cup of water through the coffee maker, a little bitter and not sweet at all but then it ends with a chocolate taste.   If you like coffee with a hint of chocolate and not too sweet, this might be your thing. For me it had no redeeming qualities, just not pleasant at all. 

That's it for now, I want to get my workout in before it gets too late to try my Poblano Chicken!!

Have a FANTSTI NIGHT!!!

Day 52 ~ 3/14/12

Did you get outside today? 

In NJ it's 70 degrees, sort of unusual for this time of year, but I will take it!!  I didn't get a lunchtime walk in as I left early to do some errands and drop hubby at airport.  So tonight I will be hitting the treadmill for 40 minutes.  Good news, next kickboxing class starts in April and I am signed up!  I miss the class and looking forward to getting an EXTRA push in the weight loss and firming up (more firming up needed), I am still struggling with inner thigh fat, back fat and loose arm & belly fat.  I think if I continue the walking and then get back to kickboxing - I will see some positive results (my hope anyway)!

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Green Smoothie ( 2 fruits and a veggie)

Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat flat bread, 2 tablespoons red pepper hummus, 1 plain yogurt and handful of grapes

Dinner: 2 ozs. Pork Roast Florentine (leftover), 2 cup mixed salad - I have Whole Foods to thank for this - what a wonderful fresh salad bar !  My salad contained, romaine lettuce, 1/2 hb egg, corn relish, cabbage, scallions, cucumber, almond slivers, sunflower seeds, zucchini, carrot and garbanzo beans

Getting the salads and fruits in much easier when it's warmer out.  I tend to stay away from salad in the winter time - but having a crisp tasty salad is filling and satifying and hits the spot!!

I hope you did take advantage of the nice weather - fresh air helps clear the mind and remind us what we have set out to do and ignites us internally (that's how I feel anyway!)

Have a TERRIFIC Night!!

 

 

 

Day 51 ~ 3/13/12

I had a very good day today and it had nothing to do with this diet or the food.

As most of you know, my "real" job, the one that helps pay the bills, is Credit & Collections Management.  Majority of my job in a nutshell - I collect money for the company I work for and make sure we are not losing money. I collect mostly from large companies and government agencies with a few smaller companies thrown in.  I have several customers - I love....we have great chemistry on the phone and it just makes my job that much easier.  I am a people person and that helps, I love to meet new people...if you ask anyone in my family, they would basically say I am a freak magnet - no matter where we go people gravitate to me.  In some ways that is AWESOME - in some ways - NOT SO GREAT, but no matter who comes up to me I take the time to talk to them and not brush them off (that would be so rude).

With all that being said,   I have a customer that visits me when he makes his payment.  He's an older man and has been a customer for 20+ years.  He's had some medical issues and with the economy he's had his own struggles in getting paid so he can pay others.  Just a really nice man.  He came into the office today to tell me that he is working on getting me a payment and he's not going to, not pay me but wanted to personally tell me that he appreciated what a nice person I was and that with all the people he has dealt with through the years I am the nicest, most pleasant person and he is happy he gets to work with me!  It TOTALLY made my day!!

 I know I do my best to treat people the way I want to be treated - but there is truth to the saying "If you put your problems in a pile with other peoples problems, you will always grab yours back because yours are never as bad as you think they are" (or something like that).

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Green Smoothie (got my 2 fruits and a veggie in-plus got to have my new favorite breakfast)

Lunch: 2 HB eggs, 1/2 teaspoon may0, whole wheat pita, 1 orange

Dinner: 3 ozs. Pork Roast Florentine (THANK YOU, Trader Joes), 1 cup string beans with almonds

Trader Joe's hooked me up with this wonderful defrost, cook and eat HEALTHY MEAL!

If you have a Trader Joes by you and have never gone - check it out.  There are no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, no genetically motified foods, no MSG, no Trans Fats and they offer gluton free and vegetarian items.  That's my sales pitch for Trader Joe's - I like it!

No treadmill workout tonight - I am going to do some hand weights and take it easy.  My legs are worse today than yeaterday after working in yard on Sunday!

One final note on all of this is - whether at work, in the grocery store or anywhere you come across another human being - JUST BE NICE.  You do not know if that person is having a good or bad day and just one kind word can make their day better!!

Have a WONDERFUL Night!!!!

Day 50 ~ 3/12/12

Quick update tonight as I have a hair appointment (no pictures for meals as I am rushing and no time to upload)

I hope your Monday was SPECTACULAR and you are feeling (I know you are looking) GREAT!!

 

Breakfast:

1 HB egg, 1 cup orange juice, 10 almonds (chopped and put in yogurt), Chobani vanilla yogurt

 Snack: 1 apple

Lunch:

2 oz tuna (1/2 can water packed), ½ tablespoon mayo, 1 cup mixed salad – put all in whole wheat pita (handy pocket lunch)

 Dinner:

3 oz pan seared chicken breast (chopped up and served over pasta), ½ cup whole wheat pasta, 2 heaping tablespoons pasta/tomato sauce, 1 cup steamed broccoli (microwaved, not fresh)

Snack:  1 orange (after hair appoint and my workout when I get back home)

Have a SUPER night!!